Make Chiekcn, Lamb, and Beef Shwarma at Home on Onion Halves

This Chicken Shawarma recipe is going to knock your socks off! Only a handful of every solar day spices makes an incredible Craven Shawarma marinade that infuses the chicken with exotic Eye Eastern flavours. The smell when this is cooking is insane!

Chicken Shawarma

This is 1 of my signature recipes that will be very familiar to all my friends because I make this and so often. Information technology's off the charts for effort vs output: just a handful of everyday spices, garlic, a splash of lemon and olive oil transforms into the most incredible flavour.

When this craven is cooking, the aroma is incredible . In fact, information technology's how I met near of my neighbours when I lived in a townhouse complex, random people I had never met before popping their head over the fence wanting to know what on earth I was making. They were elated when I handed out samples!

What is Chicken Shawarma, really??

Shawarma is a pop dish originating from the Middle East. Information technology'south a popular street food that is traditionally made in the form of spiced meats that are stacked on a vertical rotisserie with sparse slices shaved off every bit it rotates. Merely don't worry! We can cook our horizontally in a good onetime pan or on the BBQ!

Shawarma was traditionally made with lamb, mutton and craven though these days you come across information technology with beef likewise. Information technology's commonly served in the form of a wrap, though in some countries you see it served on plates with sides such as seasoned rice or fries, and salads. In this recipe, I'm giving y'all both options!

Ingredients in Craven Shawarma

Here's what y'all need to make Chicken Shawarma. I'yard betting you have nigh if not all of the spices in your pantry already!

• Chicken – I like to brand Shawarma with boneless, skinless thighs every bit its juicier than chest. But chicken breast and tenderloin both work not bad.

• Lemon juice – Fresh!

• Olive oil – For a touch of season merely also to dilute the lemon juice so information technology doesn't "cook" the craven (like we intentionally do with ceviche!).

• Spices – Nothing out of the ordinary here! The only one you might non take in stock is cardamom, though these days its easily found at any grocery shop. It has a piney, sort of citrusy flavour and it is a cardinal ingredient that distinguishes the Shawarma marinade from other cuisines, such as Mexican, that regularly uses the other spices used in this recipe. In curt, don't skip it!

• Spice control – The spiciness in the Shawarma marinade comes from the cayenne pepper. It'due south not a key element of the flavour so if yous don't want it spicy, either reduce or eliminate it altogether. I promise yous won't feel robbed. Lots of other flavours going on in this dish!

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Sauce options for Shawarma

Shawarma is traditionally served with either a tahini sauce (common in State of israel) or a Yogurt Sauce. If you'd like to use a tahini sauce, apply the one in this Roasted Broccolini recipe.

For a Lemon Yogurt Sauce, hither's what y'all need:

How to make Chicken Shawarma

For the all-time results, it's all-time to marinate the chicken overnight. But to exist honest, the volume and season of the marinade is intense plenty that you lot can go away with a minimum of three hours of marinating. Been there, done that plenty of times, and nobody has complained!

1. Mix marinade – For convenience, merely mix the marinade straight in a ziplock purse. A bag works best because the chicken remains nicely coated in the marinade. If yous prefer to use a container, either plow the chicken a few times or increase the marinade by 50%.

2. Add chicken into the marinade. Seal the bag, removing excess air, then massage to coat from the outside. Go out to marinade for 12 to 24 hours in the fridge. If y'all're pressed for time, fifty-fifty 3 hours will practice!

3. Yogurt sauce – Brand the yogurt sauce only by mixing the ingredients then set aside for at least xx minutes to let the flavours meld. This volition keep for three days in the fridge.

4. Cook chicken either on the stove or on the BBQ. It volition go a cracking crust on information technology from the spices, and yous will adore the smell. It's intoxicating!

5. Rest chicken for at least iii minutes before serving to allow the juices to redistribute throughout the flesh, else they will just run out everywhere when y'all slice the meat.

6. To serve, just pile everything on a platter and let everybody make their ain wraps! The craven, lettuce, tomato slices, onion, yogurt sauce and warmed flatbreads – homemade or store bought. If the chicken is on the larger side, I sometimes slice it. But if they are smaller, I tend to just go out them whole.

How to Serve Chicken Shawarma

There are 2 main means to serve Chicken Shawarma.

1. Wraps – As Chicken Shawarma wraps (similar Gyros and Doner kebabs), with tomato, lettuce, and a simple yoghurt sauce on the side. Other optional extras include: red onion, cheese (query actuality? But that's ok!!), hummus, hot sauce / chilli sauce.

2. Shawarma plate – With rice and salads on the side. Thought I unremarkably do serve pita breadstuff or another blazon of flatbread every bit well, with a big dollop of either Hummus or the Yogurt Sauce in this recipe, simply because information technology's very on theme. ☺️

   Below, the Chicken Shawarma is pictured with Mejadra which is a Middle Eastern lentil rice (seriously so skillful you lot can / will want to eat it simply by itself!) and a Middle Eastern Chickpea Salad (I skip the spicing of chickpeas otherwise there's just besides muchkapow spices going on).

A few other things that would exist very much at home alongside Chicken Shawarma:

• Lemon Rice Pilaf

• Rice Pilaf with Nuts and Dried Fruit

• Chickpea Rice Pilaf

• Juicy Greek Salad – the flavours in Greek salad pair really well with Heart Eastern food

• Middle Eastern Shredded Cabbage, Carrot, Mint Salad

• Middle Eastern Roasted Vegetables with Tahini Drizzle

• Roasted Pumpkin with Yogurt Sauce and Pine Basics

• Roasted Broccolini with Tahini Sauce

The spread below features the Chickpea Salad referred to to a higher place and Mejadra, the lentil spiced rice.

Great food for gatherings

This Chicken Shawarma, forth with the Vietnamese Noodles with Lemongrass Chicken, are two of my almost oftentimes made foods when I'grand cooking for a crowd because it's easy to make loads, they are both smashing "lay information technology all out and permit everyone serve themselves" type foods (I'm a big fan of food like that), and it travels well. I've made this multiple times on camping trips (along with the Vietnamese Noodles and Greek Gyros!).

It was also office of a 7 course Arabian Banquet carte that I shared way back when I first published this recipe in 2015. I still haven't gotten around to perking up all the recipes with fresh new photos, just I will one day! I beloved that carte because then much of it tin can be prepared alee, and there'southward lots of mutual ingredients.

Be prepared for the amazing smells when you're cooking this Craven Shawarma! – Nagi xx

Watch how to arrive

Chicken Shawarma recipe video! Yous can most smell the heady odor through the screen….virtually!!!

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Servings iv – 5

Tap or hover to scale

Recipe video above. The odor when this is cooking is outrageous! The marinade is very quick to set and the chicken tin can be frozen in the marinade, then defrosted prior to cooking. All-time cooked on the outdoor grill / BBQ, but I usually make it on the stove.

Serve with Yogurt Sauce (provided) or the Tahini sauce in this recipe. Add a simple salad and flatbread laid out on a large platter, then permit anybody make their own wraps!

• ▢ one kg / 2 lb chicken thigh fillets , skinless and boneless (Note 3)

Marinade

• ▢ 1 big garlic clove , minced (or 2 small cloves)
• ▢ 1 tbsp ground coriander
• ▢ 1 tbsp ground cumin
• ▢ 1 tbsp ground cardamon
• ▢ one tsp ground cayenne pepper (reduce to 1/two tsp to brand information technology non spicy)
• ▢ two tsp smoked paprika
• ▢ 2 tsp table salt
• ▢ Black pepper
• ▢ two tbsp lemon juice
• ▢ 3 tbsp olive oil

Yoghurt Sauce

• ▢ 1 loving cup Greek yoghurt
• ▢ ane clove garlic , crushed
• ▢ i tsp cumin
• ▢ Clasp of lemon juice
• ▢ Salt and pepper

To Serve

• ▢ 4 – v flatbreads (Lebanese or pita breadstuff orhomemade soft flatbreads)
• ▢ Sliced lettuce (cos or iceberg)
• ▢ Tomato plant slices
• ▢ Ruddy onion , finely sliced
• ▢ Cheese , shredded (optional)
• ▢ Hot sauce of option (optional)

• Marinade chicken – Combine the marinade ingredients in a large ziplock bag. Add the chicken, seal, the massage from the outside with your hands to make sure each slice is coated. Marinate 24 hours (minimum iii hours).

• Yogurt Sauce – Combine the Yogurt Sauce ingredients in a bowl and mix. Encompass and put in the fridge until required (it will last for three days in the fridge).

• Preheat stove or BBQ – Heat a large non-stick skillet with 1 tablespoon over medium loftier rut, or lightly brush a BBQ hotplate/grills with oil and rut to medium high. (Come across notes for baking)

• Cook chicken – Identify chicken in the skillet or on the grill and melt the beginning side for iv to v minutes until nicely charred. Turn and melt the other side for 3 to 4 minutes (the second side takes less time).

• Remainder – Remove craven from the grill and cover loosely with foil. Set aside to rest for 5 minutes.

To Serve

• Piece chicken and pile onto platter alongside flatbreads, Salad and the Yoghurt Sauce (or dairy free Tahini sauce from this recipe).

• To make a wrap, get a slice of flatbread and smear with Yoghurt Sauce. Top with a bit of lettuce and tomato and Chicken Shawarma. Whorl up and enjoy!

1. Make Ahead: Pop the marinade and craven in a ziplock bag and freeze straight abroad. Then equally it defrosts, it volition marinate!

This also works well made ahead, which I recently did when I made this for fifty people as role of a multi-course meal. I grilled it in the morning time and cut it upwards. So prior to serving it was merely heated up in the microwave. Toss it with the juices pooled at the bottom of the dish and no one volition gauge it was cooked earlier in the day!

2. Chicken per serving – If using large lebanese breadstuff every bit pictured (bore is almost 30cm/1 pes), you need around 300g/10oz of craven per person (raw) to fully fill them out without tucking the ends in. 200 – 250g/7 – 8oz per person seems to exist enough on average, just I always end up providing more!

3. Chicken – I apply half dozen pieces approx 5oz/150g each.

Chicken breast: I feel strongly that this is all-time made with thigh because information technology'south got more fatty so you lot go beautiful caramelisation. Just it's still super tasty made with chicken breast. The best way is to cut them in half horizontally to make two sparse steaks no thicker than one cm/ 2/5″ each. If needed, pound lightly. Marinate per recipe. Then cook on a high oestrus (non medium high per recipe) for just 2 minutes on each side until gilded. They will be juicy and cute within!

4. Suggestions for things to make on the side:

* Mejadra (pictured in post) – Eye Eastern lentil rice
* Chickpea Rice Pilaf– slightly less spiced than Mejadra
* Centre Eastern Chickpea Salad (a Yotam Ottolenghi recipe, skip the spicing of chickpeas to keep it fresher)

Also run across vii Class Arabian Banquet (summary beneath recipe) and higher up recipe carte du jour in mail for lengthier listing of side options.

5. BAKING: Cooking on a BBQ or stove is best to get the caramelisation. Baking doesn't yield quite the same flavour – but nonetheless very good! Bake at 425F/220C for 20 – 25 minutes until a browned.

6. Nutrition for chicken merely considering flatbreads vary and so much in size and calories.Assuming 6 servings.

Serving: 183 one thousand Calories: 275 cal (14%) Carbohydrates: i.1 m Protein: 32.ix thousand (66%) Fat: 16.2 g (25%) Saturated Fat: iii.ii one thousand (20%) Polyunsaturated Fat: xiii yard Cholesterol: 140 mg (47%) Sodium: 918 mg (forty%)

Keywords: Chicken Shawarma, shawarma

Originally published December 2014, updated with fresh photos and an improved recipe video!

Here is a summary of the Arabian Feast Menu that I shared back in 2015. I haven't updated all the recipes yet – I'll get to them somewhen!

To Nibble:Hummus, Herb Chili Feta, Chargrilled Vegetable Platter

For the Men to Grill:Lamb Koftas, Chicken Shawarma (this recipe)

Because nosotros must have Greens:Shredded Red Cabbage Carrot Salad, Spiced Chickpea Salad

Arabian Feast – 7 dishes prepared in i hour. Clockwise from top left: Hummus, Herb Chili Feta, Red Cabbage Carrot Salad, Lamb Koftas, Spiced Chickpea Salad, Chicken Sharwarma, Chargrilled Vegetable Platter

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Life of Dozer

Throwback to Life of Dozer in 2015 when I first published this recipe – nada has inverse in the years that has passed!

This shot pretty much encompasses how utterly anticipated Dozer is:

✅ Skulking near a big pile of meat

✅ Squeezing himself under a tiny table laden with said food

✅ Eyes sparkling at the possibilities

✅ Licking his lips in anticipation

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Source: https://www.recipetineats.com/chicken-sharwama-middle-eastern/

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